Upgrade CD player or wait

Upgrade now. If you choose to wait for a better universal format which will offer a wide selection, you may be waitng for another 10 years or more??? Get something with up sampling.

Dont touch the Theta.The Planet 2000 is a good choice.

Certainly upgrade that NAD - lots available used but stick with redbook unless you want to shell out big $ for SACD software. However 20 bit HDCD is a good way to go for much better sound than redbook, yet at the same prices for redbook CD's.

Go ahead and buy a good single box CD player and don't wait for the "new and better" format. No matter how much better DVD-A or SACD sounds if you don't have the software, it's no good to you.

From a guy with lots of little black boxes to play a mere CD speaking...

Nice post, Pbb. I'm probably the guy who said the ARCAM lacked PRaT. But I never stuck it on a Neuance, so who knows...? Your analogy's great. Maybe a Neuance will allow that trio to boogie better!
But to answer the threadhead's query: it took me a LONG time to throw away my old modded Rotel 855, but musical life with Redbook is now a completely NON-artificial experience with my new Electro EMC-1 MkII. Sure, pricey, but a sea change as important as a great speaker upgrade.
I too thought the Planet a bit dark. But then again that can be a good thing in a leanish system (metal tweeter, nearfield listening, upper crossover junk, untreated sidewalls, etc.).
I simply couldn't find a $1k player a year ago that cut it.
Used EMC-1 can be had around $2k. You can get the MkII DAC later for $600 (I got a couple straight from the EC for folks.) I figured it'd be a LONG time before someone made a combi-transport that REALLY sounded great on Redbook, so I went this route.
Good luck on your journey.